More than 800 migrants rescued from Mediterranean

January 3, 2014 1:10 PM

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(CNN) -- Italian authorities on Thursday rescued more than 800 migrants from four boats trying to reach the island of Lampedusa, the Italian navy said.

As the closest Italian island to Africa, Lampedusa, in the Mediterranean Sea, is a frequent destination for refugees seeking to enter European Union countries, and shipwrecks off its shores are common.